Area immigrants came to the Freedom Life Church on Main Street Saturday to take the first step to becoming American citizens.

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) hosted a citizen assistance session at the church as part of a national campaign called "Welcoming America."

Cristina Aguilera, of MIRA, is the local coordinator of the effort, called "Welcoming Massachusetts" in the state. She said her group is trying to establish a Milford chapter.

"We're trying to integrate immigrants and non-immigrants in a dialogue," she said. "We feel that there's lots of misunderstanding about the immigration process."

"We're trying to bring people into a conversation that's more from the human being perspective than policy," she added.

Aguilera said the workshop's volunteers were locals who had received training about the citizenship process.

"By receiving training, they learn who can apply and who cannot, and the complications of the process," she said. "They realize that there's not really a path to citizenship for everybody."

"We intended to bring a lot of non-immigrants to the training so they can learn that, with people who haven't gone through the process, it's not because they don't want to - it's because they don't have the opportunity," she added.

Sarang Sehavat, MIRA's federal policy director, said the workshop had several stations for prospective citizens.

"We start with screening, then we have a ton of volunteers to help them go through the application, and quality control to make sure everything's done right," he said. "We then make copies, and give them the original to mail out."

After the forms are mailed, there are still some steps to take, Sehavat said.

"Their fingerprints are taken by the FBI for a background check," he said. "There's an interview process, where they go through the forms question by question, and then the English and civic exams. Assuming everything goes well, they then get an appointment to be sworn in."

"Right now, the process is taking a little over five months," he added.

Sehavat said the hope was to have 60 people go through the process in Milford.

"Not all of them will be eligible," he said. "If they're not, we give them additional assistance and information."

According to Sehavat, MIRA has hosted a number of similar events in the greater Boston area.

"They tend to be bigger - at one, we had 230 people go through," he said. "We're trying to get out in the state more. We will be hitting Springfield, Worcester, Brockton and Lawrence before the end of the year."

Pastor Hector Quinones of the Freedom Life Church said the church lends its facilities to those who provide services to the community.

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"This building belongs to the community," he said.

Quinones said his congregation includes people from 20 Spanish-speaking countries, as well as those born and raised in the U.S.

Gillian and Joel Chandool, Trinidad and Tobago natives, said the workshop helped simplify the process.

"Everybody was so helpful," Gillian said. "I did it before, so I was really comfortable with helping (Joel) through the process."

Joel agreed.

"Nice country, nice people," he said.

Mike Gleason can be reached at 508-634-7546 or mgleason@wickedlocal.com.